Pale Eyed Rider
by Sharingan300
Summary: As Hizashi heads off to sacrifice himself, Hinata makes a desperate deal to save her uncle's life. Miraculously, Hizashi survives and comes home. However, a deal is a thing that is made between two people, and now that his role has been fulfilled, Mephisto turns his burning gaze on Hinata, who now has to fear for her very soul. After all... A deal is a deal. Cross with Ghost Rider
1. Cruel knowledge

Hello all! A hellishly long time and no see!  
I haven't submitted anything to this site in a while, let me tell you that one!

Anyways, I'm back for now, and here's the obligatory disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Ghost Rider in any way shape or form. I do not make any money off of this work, this is purely a work of fiction from my mind, written for enjoyment and nothing else.

The first few chapters will act as an introduction to the story and some will be a bit short.  
Do keep in mind that this story is rated the way it is for a reason.

Thank you.

* * *

"_You can't live in fear." – Johnny Blaze (Nicholas Cage), "Ghost Rider"_

"_This power, that we have… It comes from a dark place…  
But it is __**not**__ who we are… It __**NEVER**__ will be." – Johnny Blaze (Nicholas Cage), "Ghost Rider – Spirit of Vengeance"_

* * *

(No…way…!)

Sitting on her bed on her knees, posture tense and gaze trained on the left wall, is the 7-year old heir to the main house of the Hyuuga clan.  
The hour is late, far past her intended bedtime. Having been pulled from the warmth of sleep by a strange dream, the girl had sat up with the intent of going to her father's room for comfort. However, a muffled sound had reached her ears, which prompted her to make some hand seals, movements she had just learned, and gather Chakra in her eyes. With veins enlarging in her temples and pupils growing visible, Hinata looks through her bedroom wall.  
Nothing.  
Focusing harder, her sight penetrates the next wall.  
Still nothing.  
Focusing even harder, with more veins popping up, the third wall dissolves before her sight.

(Wh…what is father and the Council members doing up at this hour…? A meeting? Why now? Did something happen, I-)  
But her worried thoughts are put to a halt, as one of the men suddenly slams his hand to the floor, seemingly yelling something and being quickly hushed by the others. (Uncle! Wh-what is uncle doing in a meeting with the main house? What is going on in there…?)  
With worry and trepidation now rooted deep in her heart, Hinata turns her attention to one specific part of the gathered men's anatomy. Having been played with a lot since before she could remember and learned how to use her clan's eyes very early on made her develop a rare skill for someone her age. Hinata could read lips and read them with ease.

So with that, she focused on whoever seemed to be speaking at the moment, which happened to be her father.

"…_-annot be serious, Hizashi! You honestly believe-" _

"_It is MY decision, brother! I will protect our clan!"_

Sitting back with her brow furrowing in confusion, Hinata keeps watching.  
(Protect the clan…? What is he-)

"_I will not allow it, brother! If anything, protecting the clan as the clan head is MY responsibility!"_

Seeing the two men arguing fills Hinata with a strange feeling as she has rarely ever seen them do so before.

"_Brother… Why do you think, I am volunteering for this mission?"_

(A mission…? This is about a mission? If so, then why is father-)  
Then, slamming his palm into the floor right in front of his brother, Hiashi yelled, and Hinata's eyes widens.

"_You're heading to your DEATH, Hizashi! Going there means you DIE! I will NOT allow you to-"_

Staring through the three walls with her white and slightly violet eyes wide open, Hinata's hands start to shake. Soon, her entire body is trembling, as the argument comes to an abrupt end.

"_Hizashi! I forbid-" _

'_Twack!' _

"_Ugh…!" _

With his daughter secretly watching, Hiashi sinks to the floor, coughing and trembling, as Hizashi rises to his feet and walks over to the door. Upon reaching it, he turns and faces his brother with a smile.

"_I am not acting as a member of the branch right now, brother… This, is my _own_ decision. My _own_ choice. I will proudly go to my death, if it means I can protect you, my brother. And Neji. And of course, Hinata as well. _

A heavy lump forms in Hinata's throat. And though her vision blurs with tears, she still reads her uncle's lips perfectly.

"_If it is to protect my son and the rest of my family, then I will do _anything_, brother. That, is how much I love my family and clan… So please brother…don't try to stop me. I am dying out of my own free will, something that is rarely offered to a branch member…"_

With that, her uncle leaves the room and goes farther than her undeveloped sight can follow. Throwing her hands over her mouth as her chest contracts, Hinata lets her tears fall, and collapses back on her bed, mind reeling, _burning_ with the images, the knowledge of what she had just seen. As she cries and tosses her small body back and forth on the bed, she wishes and prays, prays that what she just witnessed was a dream. A vision that is nothing more than a cruel nightmare, where she completely misread the men's lips.  
And yet deep down, she knows…  
She knows there is no way she misread anything this night… For despite her having walked this Earth for only 7 short years, her skill at reading lips is _exceptional_.

Four _hours_, she tosses and turns, young mind racing with horrifying thoughts, torturing itself with the knowledge she should never have obtained, that was never meant for her to know. Her uncle, her beloved uncle Hizashi, was steadily heading toward his death. He did so because he loved them. Loved his brother. Loved his son.  
Loved _her_.  
Hinata cries, screaming into her pillow and holding it to her face as she rolls around on the bed, body jerking as cold waves of horror assaults her at every second. Her uncle is going to die…she knows but cannot do anything about it. And _that_, if anything, that powerlessness, is what absolutely _skewers_ her.

"_**Life is rather cruel, don't you agree? Plenty of unfair decisions to be made while heading down the road…**__"_

Eyes snapping open and body sitting bolt upright, Hinata's mouth releases a shriek of terror, as her gaze lands on a man, standing in the middle of her room. Breathing quickening with fear pulsing through her, Hinata backpedals on her hands until she bumps into the headboard of her bed, pulling her blanket with her and trembling underneath it. She watches, terrified, as the man shifts his weight, calmly placing his gloved hands on top of his cane, as he watches her quiver in fear. He takes a step toward her, and her mouth opens to release a sound once again, this time a really, _really_ loud scream. But the man, in the blink of an eye, brings a finger to his lips to signify a wish for silence, and the sound, **dies** in her throat.

"_**Please… Do not alarm yourself. I am not here to **__**harm**__** you…**__"_

As he speaks, he slowly but surely makes his way toward her, with her trying desperately to shrink, to disappear from his gaze. But her limbs will not obey any commands other than curling up into a tighter ball, her eyes unable to look away from him, even though she so desperately wants to. The man speaks with a voice that is smooth and calm, like a businessman explaining a transaction to a child. And while such a thing would no doubt be mind-numbingly boring, what **he** was doing, was mind-numbingly **horrifying**. Despite his calm voice, Hinata felt absolutely horrified by his presence.

"_**My name…is Mephisto… I have come here tonight, because of a **__**great**__** injustice… This, cruel, **__**cruel**__** decision your Council has agreed upon…**__"_

As his words slowly register in her frightened mind, Hinata sits up a little bit straighter. She clears her throat and takes a few shaky breaths, lips moving in several attempts to form words before finally succeeding.

"What… Are you talking about…?"

With the man's mouth widening into a smile, Hinata inwardly recoils as if struck. His smile resembles a sinister snarl, despite being made to look warm and inviting.

"_**You have come to know about the decision that has been made for your uncle… And yet despite know about it, you are still incapable of action…After all, you ARE just a child. Sometimes life is unbearably cruel. This is one of the truths of life and there is nothing you can do to escape it. Nothing you can do to avoid it…**__"_

Shifting his weight, he takes another step toward her, smile ever present on his face.

"… _**Or, **__**is**__** there…?**__"_

Setting his cane down on her floor, Mephisto smiles again, sending powerful and **cold** shivers down her little spine, and he asks, smilingly-

"_**Tell me… Hinata… Do you wish to save your uncle's life?**__"_

The moment his mouth formed her name, for that single second, Hinata felt like she was out in a raging snowstorm. _That's_ how much it chilled her.  
With the chill passing, his question relentlessly bores into her ravaged mind, demanding her complete attention until she replies.

"_**Your beloved uncle **__**will**__** die tomorrow…in a couple of hours, actually… Unless **__**something**__**…is done about it…**__" _

His smooth voice reaches her ears without trouble, the words he forms registers, and she cannot help but feel as if they're dripping with some deadly venom. Some instinctive form of intuition…  
Somehow, Hinata knows this man is evil. She would have felt absolutely silly saying it to anyone else out loud, but with _this_ man…who appeared in her room from out of nowhere… The label felt almost _too_ right, somehow…  
She also knows, in a logical sense, that she should not, by any means, trust the man. Not because of how he makes her feel…but rather because a man appearing out of thin air and offering something as outrageous as he did was, obviously untrustworthy. By all rights, she should have been screaming for the maids and guards the very moment he appeared before her.

But… But.

He offered to save her uncle. To miraculously save his life.  
And despite all her training and all her instincts telling her, looking her in the eyes and **screaming** at her, not to trust him…

"What…"

Mephisto shifts his weight from one foot to another, his posture emanating a calm patience, as he waits for the child as she clears her throat and, taking a shaky breath-

"What…do I have to do…?"

Smile changing and taking on a different nature, Mephisto unrolls a piece of paper and advances, driving the little Hyuuga to scoot back until her back hits the headboard once again, trembling and desperately clutching her blanket to her in search of _something_, anything safe and warm, as whatever courage that prompted her to speak flees her mind.

"_**I will save your uncle's life, Hinata. Have no fear of anything otherwise happening… You will not be in any danger… After all, you are but a child and who in their right mind would put a **__**child**__** in danger, right?**__"_

Swallowing, Hinata doesn't respond, as Mephisto takes yet another step, bringing himself _very_ close to her now.

"_**All you will have to do…to save your uncle's life… Is to sign this little piece of paper.**__"_

Conjuring up a feather pen from who knows where, he gently tosses it to her and lets the paper go. As if caught and carried by some unknown wind, the paper floats down and lands right in her lap. Hinata swallows and looks at the paper. There is writing on it, but it is written in a language she doesn't understand. Looking between the paper and the pen right next to her hand, Hinata swallows several times, taking shaky breaths as Mephisto watches her, both hands on his cane.

"_**Take your time**_**…**" He says, voice smooth as silk, but devoid of warmth. "_**…**__**There is still hours until your uncle has finished his march toward his unjust death…**_"

He then vanishes, fading away into wisps of shadow, leaving the bedroom once again to its occupant. Sitting there and staring at the paper, Hinata starts to cry.  
She is scared. She is cold. She is confused. She wants her dad. She wants her teddy bear. She wants her mother. She wants her **uncle**.  
Picturing his face and the times they've spent together, playing ball and such with him and her cousin, her little sister sitting clapping happily at the side, Hinata sits there, rocking back and forth in her bed for hours.

Until… With her young mind ravaged by despair, confusion, fear and grief, she raises a trembling hand, and reaches…for the pen. Fingertips pressing against it, she lifts it…and brings it…to her chest. Taking several shaky breaths, her cheeks stained with dried tears and eyes puffy and red, Hinata gives a final hiccup, before tightening her grip on the feather pen. It is with a healthy dose of fear and confusion, and trepidation weighing heavily in her young heart…that Hinata lowers the pen…to the paper.  
But as it makes its way down there, her hand suddenly trembles violently, and she accidentally pricks her other hand, hovering an inch above the paper. Hissing and jerking both hands away in reflex at the sudden sensation, the pen leaves her hand and flies through the room, hitting the floor with a soft sound a distance away.  
But…the damage, is already done.  
For as she jerks her hand away, a few small drops of blood escapes her skin, barely having time to expand in the air before…hitting the bottom of the paper.

The same second her blood hits the paper, a resounding laughter suddenly erupts from out of nowhere, bouncing all across the room, being loud and seemingly coming from everywhere at once. Giving a frightened shriek and curling up in her blanket against the headboard once again, Hinata watches, with pale eyes wide with horror, as Mephisto materializes once more. This time, he walks right up to her bedside, making her scoot away from him as fast as possible, so much so that she falls off the other side of the bed, in fact. Having hit the floor and dragging her blanket with her, Hinata keeps backpedaling on one hand and jerking movements of her feet, her heels hitting the floor repeatedly as she frantically backs herself into a corner where she curls up into a trembling ball.

Peeking up from her blanket, the shivering child sees the man, the very, **very****evil** man, gingerly reaching down and grabbing the paper, then slowly bringing it to his face, whereupon his smile widens to new proportions, his mouth opening to let out a sound that would come to haunt Hinata's nightmares for years to come… The sound, of his happy, almost ecstatic _laughter_. Looking over at the bundled up child in the corner, Mephisto's eyes light up, and he says-

"_**Thank you, my child… This will do **__**nicely**__**…**_"

And then, with a loud burst of laughter, he lights up the room as he himself dissolves into flames, not leaving a single trace behind him to speak of his time there.  
As the man abruptly vanishes in fire, Hinata whimpers and buries her head in her knees, pulling the blanket around her and once again rocking back and forth, sobbing as her tears wets her knees.

It is with gasps of alarm and worry, that the maids find her the following morning, still curled up in the corner, rocking back and forth.

* * *

Well! First chapter over and done with!

As I said at the start, the first few chapters will serve as more of an introduction and some will be short without much "action".  
Worry not, however, for I have several bouts of hellfire already planned for this story, so do try and stay tuned.  
Also, please feel free to review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome.


	2. A deal is a deal

Alrighty! Second chapter! Let's get it out there!

Disclaimer: As always, I do NOT own Naruto or the Ghost Rider franchises in any way, shape or form. Neither do I make any money off of them.  
Regrettably enough.

* * *

What happens next is…simply _bizarre_. The mission that was to be a one-way trip to Death himself, turns into a triumph, where Hizashi actually, after a series of seemingly _miraculous_ events, faces off against and kills the assassin after his eyes.

Returning home to the mansion, he is given a hero's welcome, taking Neji into his arms and carrying him on his hip as he marches into the mansion, where both sides of the clan congratulate him on protecting the clan. And Hinata, whose face has been wracked with tortured thoughts and horrifying memories, now lights up like a miniature _sun_, jumping and clapping and laughing and being absolutely _ecstatic_ with joy. Following her father, uncle and cousin and everyone else inside the mansion, she celebrates with her family and, once night rolls around, asks to sleep together with her uncle and cousin, just like they did when she was younger.  
Smiling, Hizashi grants her request and retires with his son and niece, going to bed early with Hinata falling soundly asleep with a smile on her face, the memories of the night before a fading nightmare.

… Or so she _thought_.

Not even a day… Not even _that_, is she given.  
Until disaster strikes.

For the eldest Hyuuga heir is woken up in the wee hours of the early morning, by screams of complete and utter horror.  
Breath quickening and heart hammering, Hinata's eyes widens in horror, as her uncle is gone. Her cousin is already sitting bolt upright, rubbing at one eye while looking left to right in obvious confusion. Throwing the blanket off and jumping out of bed, Hinata runs to the door, slides it open and sprints down the corridor. She pushes her way through a pack of maids who had gathered in the doorway to a room and, before anyone can react fast enough to stop her, powers her way through and directs her gaze into the center of the room.

_Red... __So__…much __**red**__…!  
Eyes as pale as snow, with only a hint of violet to color them, takes in the sight before them… And are stained with a dark __**crimson**__, as the sight before them is forever burned into those irises…_

Eyes widening and with her chest forcefully expanding and retracting, the little 7-year old falls to her hands and knees and releases a scream of such **horror**, of such grief, of such **pain**… That it is later said to have echoed throughout the compound.  
And standing in the doorway, behind all the gathering and panicking clansmen and servants… Is a single man, resting his hands on a cane with his eyes trained on the body inside the room, before going to the little child, screaming and fighting every attempt made to console her made by the maids, who were panicked and distraught themselves…  
And he _**smiled**_.

* * *

The next few days passes by in a haze before Hinata's eyes.  
As she stands in front of her uncle's casket, the single white flower in her hand a sharp contrast to her black clothing, Hinata's eyes finally moisten and she cries. She places the flower and then falls to her knees, crying into her hands, her cousin coming to stand stoically beside her, eyes fixed on the casket. His hands ball themselves and he grits his teeth in barely contained grief and fury, as his younger cousin cries beside him. Having placed his flower, he sharply turns and returns to his spot, not sparing anyone a second glance.  
As she sits there, crying, all sound suddenly, and quite abruptly…_vanishes_.

"_**Such a tragic thing… This…thing called 'life', is… Don't you think?**__"_

Snapping her head up with her eyes trained directly on the source of the sound, Hinata stands and points at the man, at the sum of all her young but burning hatred, and grounds out one single word-

"… _**You**__…!"_

Grinning, Mephisto twirls his cane a little as he walks on the other side of the coffin, expression showing nothing but mirth.

"_**How…tragically ironic… For you, to save his life…only to have it 'snatched' away the next day abruptly! Truly…fate is a whimsical thing, indeed…!**__"_

Throwing herself right over the casket, Hinata screams, Byakugan activated and tears of both fury and grief streaming down her cheeks, that this, is his doing.

"You promised me! You **PROMISED** to SAVE his LIFE! You PROM-"

His gloved hand touches her, and suddenly, her words die in her throat. The instant he makes contact, a strong burning sensation erupts within Hinata, and she gasps for breath as she is forced to her knees, mind and body reeling with pain.

"_**I**__** promised to save his life from the **__**mission**__** that would have led him to a certain death… And this, I **__**did**__**.**__"_

With that, he squeezes harder, and Hinata falls forward on all fours, the pain and burning sensation so great now that she can only gasp feebly for air with her entire body trembling.

"_**And **__**now**__**… Hyuuga Hinata… **__**You**__**…and your **__**soul**__**…**__**belong**__**…to **__**ME**__**.**__"_

Pain intensifying, Hinata's cheek presses against the cold ground along with the rest of her body, its limbs powerless to keep herself elevated, with the rain falling from above doing absolutely nothing to ease the burning within her. Kneeling beside her while keeping his grip secure on her small shoulder, Mephisto's burning gaze glares into the back of her head with ferocious intensity. And then, just as her mind is on the verge of giving up consciousness to spare itself from further pain, the sensation just stops, simply vanishing into thin air.  
Rising back to his feet and returning his hands to his cane, which he tilts slightly sideways as he walks away from her, Mephisto looks into the far beyond, clearing his throat once to speak.

"_**One day… I will call for you… And once that day comes… You…will **__**ride**__** for **__**me**__**…**__"_

Gasping for air as her trembling body desperately tries to refill its thoroughly drained air supply, Hinata struggles, arms and legs shaking violently, to all fours and raises her head enough to watch the hateful being dissolve into wisps of shadow, his voice carrying itself to her ears with a fading echo…

"_**That is just how it works… After all…... A deal is a deal…**__"_

And with that, he vanishes for the last time from Hinata's vision for what amounts to several years…

* * *

Yeah, I did tell you some of these things were going to be short. I tried to make it longer, but I just couldn't find a better place than this to break it off at.

So sorry, but you're gonna have to deal with it for now. On the flipside, feel free to leave constructive criticism as always, maybe some of you have some suggestions as to how to make these chapters longer, or maybe they don't need to be longer. Tell me what you think and I'll see you guys and gals later!


	3. Small light in her darkness

Is it just me, or are these things actually getting _shorter_?

Hmm... Anyway, this will most likely be the last introductory chapter, so they will be longer from now on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Ghost Rider, blah, blah, blah, not making any profit besides personal enjoyment, bladi, bladi, blah, you know the rest.

* * *

During the following years, Hinata goes through school while doing her best to smile and not to worry those around her. However, this is not due to any kindness on her part.  
This is because she knows she does not _deserve_ their worry, their kind, comforting words and warmth. It hurts every time she comes into the living room and sees her father sitting there. Meeting her father's gaze with a smile drives a figurative knife into her gut, _especially_ when he returns the gesture.  
(He doesn't know… Nobody knows… Except for me… I know… I alone know the truth, of what happened that day…)  
Passing several clansmen and some servants and giving polite nods and smiles to every single one of them, hurts so much she almost feels _sick_.  
(They don't know… That's why they're kind to me…)

Rounding a corner, her body just stops. Right in mid-step.

"Ah… Do excuse me, _Hinata-__**sama**_."

Gut wrenching on its own accord as her cousin brushes past her without looking at her, every semblance of the happy memories they made together as children having died on the day he lost his father. Swallowing hard, Hinata desperately wills herself not to hurl.  
His father. Her **uncle**.  
Hurrying to her room and ignoring everyone she passes, Hinata slams the door shut and sinks to the floor, her back pressing up against it as she brings a shaking hand to her face, her blue bangs falling between trembling fingers.  
People give her love and warmth and safety and everything in-between… But it matters not, for she receives none of it… All of it just gets swallowed up and destroyed by the formless darkness, the raging despair she knows lies inside her, somewhere. This feeling comes and goes and varies in strength, but is the most potent on the days when she jerks stark-awake in the wee hours of the morning, panting and being soaked with sweat, her mind still reeling from what she has seen. Going to sleep used to be a ritual of rest and recovery for her. Her bed a sanctuary offering peace and warmth.

Hinata has not slept in her bed for years.  
Not since that fateful day all those years ago, when her room was visited by the man with the gloved hands and black cane… Offering paper and taking blood.

As is the case with all human beings, she too, craves sleep. Her body and mind crave periods where they can recharge. But with her bed now being the very place where her gravest sin took place, a symbol of suffering, Hinata sleeps in the far right corner of her room, curled up with her pillows and blanket and always waking an hour or so before anyone comes knocking to tell her breakfast is ready. Enough time for her to stretch her stiff limbs and to, with her gut twisting every time, make it _look_ like she has just spent the night in her bed. Shutting her eyes tight, she lies down and, feeling as if her body is resting against sharp spikes and not the softest cotton in the world, quickly rolls around in it for _just_ long enough to create the proper illusion before practically _flying_ out of it.  
The worst nights by _far_ though…are the nights when she dreams of _fire_. Those are by far the worst, as she always wakes from them screaming her lungs out before slapping her hands over her mouth, chest heaving and eyes watering as she forces herself to calm back down, forcing the lie she so desperately wants to believe, that it was just a dream, that everything that has happened was just a simple nightmare, a piece of fiction born from her mind, down her own throat.

Walking toward the kitchen with downcast eyes and dread in her heart, Hinata fails to hear the sound of a door sliding open, her pale eyes not activated to show her the face that spots her before-

"Ah! Ohayo! Onee-chaaan!"

Arresting her feet in mid-movement and bringing her body around, every trace of darkness and dread practically _melts_ off of her. For as she takes in the sight of her little sister, jogging toward her with a beaming smile on her face, Hinata knows there is _some_ amount of light left in her life.

"Ohayo… Hanabi. Did you sleep alright?"

"Yup! Slept like a log! Come on! Let's go get breakfast! I'm STARVING!"

Seizing her older sibling's arm and pulling her along with a grunt and a smile, Hanabi unknowingly lightens the burden on her sister's shoulders. Although the rest of the day would be filled with pain-ridden thoughts, Hinata doesn't care, for in those short moments, when they walk together like this toward the dining room, knows her mind is free.  
A flash of blonde hair and blue eyes and a laughing feminine voice blinks by her eyes and she shakes it from her vision. No… The rambunctious blonde cannot help her. It would be best if she didn't involve herself with more people than necessary… No matter how much she wanted to.

Be it another kid or be it an adult.  
Be it a nightmare or a frightening movie.  
Be it an angry adult or a trained ninja.  
Come whatever, Hinata swears, with a subtle squeeze of her sister's hand as she is pulled forward, that she will protect her from anything. No matter what.

* * *

Okay! Last introductory chapter done!

Bring on the reviews and I'll catch you later! Seeya!


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